Sscr.g. 2'heDmárine, Doty and tbffeeOf Afflrance 21 andcertainty ofthemdoth moredependuponGodsSpj confirmin tu,then in the clear- neffeof their . Our A,Pfurancedotty cenfií4mama that firm adhefion of tTrefnbjeet, thenat the evidence of theohjet. Ifyon confider it in thofe after_ Live acs of faith,whereby we believe truths revealed in Scripture,their fitmnefs and immovablenesdoth moredepend upontheworkofGods Spirit ftrengthning the inward man, then uponthe arguments; hence itBoth believe them evenun- to Martyrdom,though it be not able to anfwer all the objecions brought againft it; and thus it is in theft reflexive acs, the confidence thataBeliever bath. of the trothof gracewrought in him,comes morefromGodsSpirit removiagour flavith fears andbondageditpofition, as alto flayingandfupportmg the foul, then from that excellencyand beauty ofgrace which is within as. Tenthly, Confider that asa man inhis animal o f s rrianal life daths perceive the to, motions of hisfenfitiveand rationalfoul, fo dotha Believer in his f pernatural feel the motions o his fpirituallife. 1, Jolt.; .54. we knowWearetranf(gtedfront death to. li e, ecaufeWe love the brethren ; a placemuch to be infifted upon hereafter. In this Textare two things,the firftis general, Ttafe that love the brethren are eran- fsted fromdeath to life; The fecond ismore particular, we love the brethren,and therefore knowwearetranflatedfrom death to life; fo that as hewho bath fire in his bofom, he feels that heat within him; Thus he that loveth God, feeleth the motionsoflovewithen him, fo that a manas fenfitivedothperceive themo- tionsof fenfe within him, thus doth a man fpiritual feel infallibly the fuper- natural motionsofan heavenly lifewithin him, yet here is this difference, a man doth difcernbitter fromtweet, anda Peeingmanwhitefrom black without any temptation or oppofitionat all, but it is not fo in fupernatural motions. Eleventhly, 1e is a vain thing todxtinguiIi between thecertainty of Hope , and a II certainty of Faith, asifaman might baveacertainHopeof Grace andGodlineffe in hint, but nota certainFaith, for the fii'mneffe of Hopedoth depend only upon thecertaintyof faith; So thatwhere there isno certainty of Faith, there can- notbe any firmneffe of Hope. It is true,a man may have a ftrongdelire of that which he bath nocertain Faith for, but that defire cannot be called Hope, and this is more efpeciallytrue in divineHope, whichmanes nor ajbanted, and the rea- fon is, hecaufe it is the fruit of Faith, which is built upon thePromife and word of God; what Certainty therefore Faith bath it doth tranfmit to Hope ; andas God bath placed fuch a natural Afetion as Hope in a man, to bear him up againft all thedifficulties hemeeteth with for the obtainingofthe good he deli - reth, fo be bath placed a fupernaturalframe in the heart to fupport the foul till it obtaineth thofe good things it believethto have. Twelfthly, The Scripturefpeaking ofthis Certainty loath manyfignificant Words to 12, exprefsir by,Rom.748.untsoaa,for although the word is commonboth to a mo- ral or conjetural perfwafion, in which fence Paulufeth it ofthe faithof the Re- mans,Rom.a 5.14.andofthe Galatiansconverfion,Gal,5 . a.yet it isalto ufed ofa di- vineFaith, and that inDocrines ofReligion, Rom.14.1. a Tim. 1.sa. and the context doth evidently thew it tobefuch a perfwafion ( besaufe it is not a confi- dence againft a feparationfromGod, but a poffìbilicyof it Who (hall feparate us?) It ufeth alto the word Know in that of Sohn, o yoh. 3. and in many other places. Epbef3.1 a. you may there fee Faith the root, ,rift, andfrom that flow- ing m:osas eooe, Confidence, and from his Confidence flowing moppnois, but the word that the Scripturecloth moll fullyexpreffe this by is mrnesvoefd, Reno. 4. ZT. Rom.14. Coi.a.a. Heb.6.si. It is ufed in an ill fenfe, Ecclef.& Hence there it L áMe.goe:a a srcro inwicked men, and r,sits in the godly:
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=